


Plastic Rose

by A_big_dum_dum



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, F/F, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Fall, Self-Worth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29959350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_big_dum_dum/pseuds/A_big_dum_dum
Summary: It's been months since the fall of Beacon. Penny has been rebuilt and serves as the Protector of Mantle. One thing plagues her mind, that Ruby died in the fall of Beacon. Or so it seemed until she ran into a familiar face.
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Kudos: 1





	Plastic Rose

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm uploading fanfiction, so let's see how this goes. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Also, I'd like to give special thanks to Shadow_of_X and JDRIZZLE for helping me out during the writing process, you guys rock.

Prologue: Penny

Penny wakes up in a well-lit and familiar room. The room she was created in. Next to her, a familiar face, behind a desk next to her.

_Cough_

“Penny you are back on at last.” Says Pietro.

Looking around, Penny notices that she hasn’t been repaired. She was just her upper torso and head lying on the bed. Through some wires, she was still connected to her core, which was sitting on its container, next to the bed.

“It’s been a month since the incident at the Vytal Festival. If you want to ask anything feel free to do so” Pietro continued as he was looking at some metrics on the computer.

“Thanks dad, but are you doing okay?... I missed you.” Replied Penny.

“Oh, as long as you are fine, I will be as we-” Pietro starts coughing.

“Dad, you don’t have to push yourself! I can wait for you to rest.” Says Penny with a heavy tone.

Pietro’s coughing slowly subsides “I am fine my dear. Now to work on your new body.”

...

“Dad.” Said Penny with a frown.

“Yes dear?” Pietro smiles kindly at Penny.

“Does Pyrrha Nikos...the girl that I fought at the Vytal Festival. Does she know I am going to be fine?”

Pietro’s smile slowly goes away. “I don’t know how to tell you this. A lot happened after you ‘died’.” Pietro starts typing and then turned the screen. Penny could see an article from the Atlas News titled “Worldwide communications down! Here are the facts!”.

_A seemingly normal girl turns out to be a secret Atlesian project._

_An ominous broadcast._

_A massive grimm invasion and the wyvern has awakened._

_The Vale CCT was destroyed._

_Rumours say that a sudden light appeared on top of the tower of Beacon academy and the wyvern collapsed onto it. Destroying the tower in the process._

Penny grew more and more concerned. Was it all her fault? Could she have done anything to have stop it? Is _she_ okay?

“Dad! Is my friend okay?” exclaims Penny.

“Your friend?” Pietro quickly looked up a different article “List of the deceased and missing.”

Penny looks at the list while Pietro is scrolling through it.

_..._

_Blake Belladonna – missing_

_..._

_Pyrrha Nikos– deceased_

_..._

Penny flinches.

“I am sorry Penny.” Says Pietro softly.

“Please... keep going.” Penny says meekly.

_..._

_Ruby Rose – deceased_

_..._

“Dad...”

* * *

_4 months later_

Ironwood has told her, Winter and the Ace ops of the truth behind the Fall of Beacon. Of Salem. Of Ozpin’s reincarnation. Of the relics and the Maidens. Despite getting answers, one thought is always at the back of her mind. “I should had been able to save them. I was supposed to protect the world, but I couldn’t even protect my friend. I couldn’t even protect myself.”

_I WON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN._

Is what she wishes she could say with confidence, but there was still so much she doesn’t know. While knowing full well that her upgrades could not make up for it.

Despite it all, she is currently the proclaimed Protector of Mantle and does what she can to live up to it. For the last 4 days though, she has started detecting a heat signature, that stayed within semi-close proximity, but always out of sight. She doesn’t want to make a fuss about it. Winter is away at Anima. The Ace ops already had their hands full. And the general is always busy and tired. So, she will apprehend this mysterious individual herself and return to business as usual.

That person can keep up with Penny, so that means that they probably have equipment or a semblance to help with that. Additionally, since they are waiting for Penny to defeat the grimm before escaping, that also means they are observing her. Most likely a sign that it might be one of Salem’s followers. Penny had figured their movement patterns and thus when she is done with the next breach, she will immediately go and cut the follower off.

_2 days later_

Patrols have been going smoothly as usual. Stopping a mugging in one place, signing an autograph for a fan in another. It is getting late and most of the citizens of Mantle are returning to their homes. Suddenly, the sirens start ringing and the streetlights turn red. Penny detects and flies towards the invading grimm.

As she flies in, she finds only 2 manticores at an old street. Something that Penny could easily handle. The grimm are rushing towards a couple of drunk men. Penny charges her laser and shoots it at one of them, taking it out instantly. One of the men stumbles and the other manticore goes in to bite him. Penny sends her blades to the beast. The blades dig deep into the grimm’s hide, keeping it from biting the fallen man. “Run!” yells Penny and the other man rushes in to help his friend up and they start running away. Penny is keeping the manticore still, while trying to detect the usual heat signature. However, that heat signature is not there.

_Where is he?_

The grimm starts to thrash violently. Penny loses her balance and drops onto the street. Her blades detach from the manticore and it starts to run away. Penny begins to get back on her feet ready to grab it again. Suddenly, a new heat signature enters within range. It is quickly getting closer. Faster and faster. It was coming right for her. Penny braces for the incoming attack. However, what she sees, is a line of red rose petals rush by her. She immediately turns to look where the roses lead and sees it with her own eyes. The manticore cut in half. Short black hair with red tips. Wearing sweatpants and a big jacket. Holding an old rusty scythe. Before Penny could utter a word, the figure instantly turns back to rose petals and goes away. Penny, without a second thought, gives chase.

_It can’t be._

The individual rushes into a narrow street, to lose her. Penny quickly adjusts for a sharp turn, barely making it.

_If it really is her, why is she running?_

As she looks forward, she sees a 10-foot fence. The mass of rose petals squeezes through a hole. Penny doesn’t have enough time to make a precise trajectory change, so she activates her rockets to fly over the fence.

_Am I running into a trap?_

She pinpoints the heat signature again and goes straight for it. She regains sight of the person, running by a playground.

_This might be my only chance._

In a desperate attempt, she yells. “RUBY! PLEASE, I CAN’T LOSE YOU AGAIN!”

The runner stops abruptly. Penny lands a few yards behind them. She tries to take a step, but she hesitates. “Is that really you?”. The figure turns. Silver eyes. Penny’s eyes widen and immediately tackle hugs Ruby. Ruby somehow manages to stay standing.

_It’s her! It really is Ruby!_

“You...are...choking me...” Ruby barely manages to speak out.

“Oh. Sorry!” Penny says as she loosens her grip, just enough so that Ruby could breathe. “It’s just that I missed you. It was said that you died.”

“Penny...”

“I thought I lost you forever, but I guess you even tougher than me!”

“Penny.”

“How did you get to Solitas? No wait, we should discuss this somewhere warmer! Oh my gosh, you will get to meet my father!”

“Penny!”

“Ah sorry... I got too excited.” Penny tries to calm down.

“No, I’m sorry...” says Ruby as she slowly and gently pushes herself out of Penny’s embrace.

“What do you have to be sorry for? You haven’t done an-”

“I am not the Ruby you know.”


End file.
